Only Human
by Saturn T. Riddle
Summary: This was written for and won the 8th Obidala Fan Forum Fic Challenge. Obi-Wan can't sleep and gets a "call" from Padme. Meanwhile, Anakin is freaking out over the fact that he's discovered thoughts of Padme are on Obi-Wan's brain.


A/N: You're about the read the winning entry in the Obidala Fan Forum 8th Fanfic Challenge. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

The prompt was a canon comic conversation between Anakin and Obi-Wan. I actually have said conversation in italics featured in the story, so don't worry about that bit.

REVIEW and I'll love you for eternity.

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Only Human by Saturn T. Riddle

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"It's only human to feel this way."

The words reverberated through the empty corridors quietly. Obi-Wan Kenobi frowned and turned to see where the words had come from. He saw no one in the corridor, yet the words were ringing in his ears. Who was talking to him?

"It must be the lack of sleep," he muttered to himself, continuing on. Three nights, now, he had been unable to sleep. Three nights he had paced the halls in frustration. Three nights he had thought only of her. "I must be hallucinating." Though speaking out loud to himself was of some comfort, he wandered back to his room regardless.

He lay awake again, his mind wandering back to his earlier sparring session with Anakin Skywalker.

_"Anakin! I can sense your... frustration," Obi-Wan said sternly, his lightsaber clashing with Anakin's._

_"HAH!" Anakin laughed. "Look who's talking. For two days, all you've done is pace the corridors. I was hoping a sparring session would distract you..."_

_"You should take my focus as an example," Obi-Wan snapped. "Your head is still on Naboo. And you're still thinking about her!"_

_Obi-Wan jumped back in surprise, hearing Anakin's voice echo his words exactly. Anakin retracted his lightsaber and glared at Obi-Wan in disgust._

"_I knew it," he said angrily, walking away from Obi-Wan. He stopped short, turning back. "You'll never have her, you know. Not like I have."_

_Obi-Wan snorted and turned to walk the other way back to his quarters._

Obi-Wan sighed, closing his eyes. In a way, today's events had been good. It proved that Anakin still had no idea what was really going on between his own wife and his former Master. To this day, it amazed Obi-Wan how Anakin had never picked up on it. He was so overly-possessive of her that it was borderline abusive. It was curious that he never noticed that she and Obi-Wan went missing at the same time of day and couldn't be reached at the same time.

His eyes opened again. He knew tonight would be another sleepless night. Between Padme Amidala and the war, his stress levels were skyrocketing. This in turn kept him wide awake, tossing and turning in his tiny cot. The cot that had become so unbearably uncomfortable that he would much rather roam the corridors during all hours of the night.

He did not like the room he had been given. The walls were a pale and ugly grayish brown color. The paint was cracked and peeling. It was small and cramped, with only the uncomfortable cot, a table and a closet. One would think that a Jedi Master and General in the Army of the Republic would be given nicer quarters. Obi-Wan knew he should not think these things, but the dingy state of the room did not help his state of mind much. He knew a Jedi should be accepting of their surroundings and not worry over materialistic things, but was it too much to ask for a semi-comfortable bed to sleep on?

As he was sitting up to go on another walk, the holoprojector went off. He looked up to see a tiny hologram of Padme's figure appear on the table across from him. He smiled.

"What are you doing awake?" Obi-Wan chuckled. "It's pretty late…"

"Do you even know what time it is, Ben?" Padme laughed back. "It may be later there. It's not the same here."

"True, true," he mused with a tired grin. "How are you?"

"I'm alright," she said. "I'm very tired."

"I am too."

"It looks like it." Padme laughed again. "You look rather agitated. Is something bothering you?"

"Not really," Obi-Wan responded. "It's just stress." He did not know if what he had said could be considered a lie. Technically, it was true. The stress had been getting to him… he decided maybe it was better not to add that some of it was due to her.

"I didn't mean to call so late," Padme said quietly. Obi-Wan smiled softly.

"It's alright, love. I was just thinking about you."

"Obviously I was too," Padme said. "I was missing you a great deal."

"It would be nice if you were here," Obi-Wan grumbled. "I haven't slept in three days and I could use some company." He looked at her and smiled. "I bet I would sleep a thousand times better were you in my arms, Padme."

"Yeah… I agree."

Obi-Wan looked away. Her words sounded hesitant. "Where have you been, by the way?" he asked. "I haven't heard from you since I left." At this he wondered if the fact that he hadn't heard from her was helping to keep him from sleeping as well. Looking back at the hologram, he saw Padme's eyes drop to the ground.

"I'm sorry about that. I've been so busy… and Anakin, you know-"

"Can we not discuss Anakin please?" Obi-Wan snapped. "How many times must I remind you?"

Padme grew quiet. "I'm sorry, Ben… But you know how it can be with him. He can be so difficult."

"Then why did you marry him?"

Padme looked taken aback. She said nothing for a few moments, then looked away. "I have to go…"

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes. "I thought as much."

"Goodnight, Ben."

The image faded out and Obi-Wan fell back onto his cot again. The woman was so frustrating sometimes. Was it really so hard for her to not discuss the fact that she was having an affair with him? He knew, of course, but he didn't want to be reminded of it constantly…

Though their conversation had been brief and a bit tense, Obi-Wan was still grateful to have spoken with Padme at all. Feeling a little more relaxed than on previous nights, he tried to make himself as comfortable as possible on the cot. He finally fell into a semi-restless sleep as thoughts of his love drifted through his mind.

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"I don't understand," Anakin growled, pacing the length of his own tiny room. "Why is he thinking about Padme at all?"

The hologram of Chancellor Palpatine stared back at him without a word.

"I mean, she's MY wife," he snapped. "She is MINE. She loves me, not him!" He paused, taking a deep breath. "Calm down, Anakin. Calm down. They're just friends. That's the only reason he's thinking about her. He's worried because she's stressed out about the war. Right?" He looked at Palpatine hopefully.

"It could be that," Palpatine said. "Maybe."

"What do you mean, 'maybe?'" Anakin shouted, once again losing his cool. "What maybe could there be?"

"Haven't you ever noticed, Anakin, they disappear at the same time?"

"Well, yes, but that could be for several different reasons!"

"Or how close they seem to be, despite the fact that they don't speak very much?"

"Well-"

"Or how they try not to ever make eye contact with each other when you're around?"

Anakin sank to the floor in shock. It couldn't be. This couldn't be true. Padme loved him. He knew it. She wouldn't have married him if she didn't… right?

"She loves me," Anakin said, choking back a sob. "She would never! He would never! Padme is MINE."

"It's just a thought, Anakin," Palpatine responded. "I'm not saying it's true. I don't know what's going on. I'm just saying you shouldn't rule out all possibilities. It's only human to feel this way."

The hologram vanished. Anakin felt the hot tears streaming down his face and he was powerless to stop them. "There's nothing going on," he said determinedly, trying to calm himself. "There's nothing going on…"

He reached for the holoprojector with shaking hands, desperately dialing for Padme. He had to see her, to look at her face and know immediately she would never betray him.

The line was busy.


End file.
